2020 Telstra NATSIAA Winners announced

Media Release - Museum and Art Gallery Northern Territory

Western Australia artist, Ngarralja Tommy May has been announced as this year’s major Telstra Art Award Winner receiving a $50,000 cash prize.

Mr May is a Wangkajunga and Walmajarri man born in Yarrkurnja in the Great Sandy Desert. Wirrkanja 2020 is the winning piece selected from 65 exceptional finalist works.

“This is about my Country. There is a clay pan, near to Kurtal. It's also called Helena Springs, a well on the Canning Stock Route,” explains Mr May, now based in Fitzroy Crossing.

Mr May’s entry was praised by the experienced judging panel which includes Director of Injalak Arts Donna Nadjamerrek, Darwin based visual artist Karen Mills, and Curator of Araluen Arts Centre Stephen Williamson.

The judges noted, “With an artistic career spanning more than three decades, Ngarralja Tommy  May’s triumphant artwork symbolises the artist at the height of his creative powers. This work announces itself with exquisite beauty and power in the signature style Mr May has pioneered in recent years.”

Mr May said, “Thank you mob in Darwin for this business. Thank you. At last. I feel proud. I’ve been trying all my life, all the time second, fourth, last, sometimes nothing. But I got it now, today. My  days, my time this year, I’m the winner. At last.”

“This tin was my new idea, new work. This work is ‘Wirrkanja’, it’s the country where I lost my brother, its jilji (sand dune) country and flat country. Theres a jila there (living spring waterhole). It’s not far from Kurtal, over two sand dunes. It’s in flood time, the water runs down the jilji (sand dunes). This is my country and my family’s country. This is my job, it’s a good job.”

Previously Mr May was an executive for 21 years on the Arnhem, Northern and Kimberley Artists (ANKA) Board of Directors.

“I warmly congratulate respected artist Tommy May for his well-deserved accolade for Wirrkanja 2020. While this year has been unsettling, the dedication of these talented winners and finalists to share place, personal experiences and culture remains manifestly strong.

MAGNT is elated to connect the winners and finalists with audiences,” said MAGNT Director Marcus Schutenko.

Telstra Chief Executive Officer Andrew Penn said, “I would like to congratulate Ngarralja Tommy May for his wonderful work and all of this year’s winners and finalists. Once again the quality and diversity of entries is exceptional. In a year that is far from normal, together with the MAGNT, we’re pleased to announce we’ve created a virtual gallery for the exhibition so that everyone in Australia, and around the world, can experience these wonderful artworks online and for the artists to receive the recognition they truly deserve.”

Other award winners include the following artists.

Telstra General Painting Award

Adrian Jangala ROBERTSON

born 1962

Warlpiri language

Resides Alice Springs, NT

Yalpirakinu 2020

synthetic polymer paint on canvas

42 x 122 cm

Adrian Robertson’s paintings consistently refer to the desert mountains, ridges and trees that are part of his mother’s country, Yalpirakinu. Adrian primarily uses a restricted palette and captures his country using brushwork loaded with energy and drama. He is a thoughtful painter; reworking, pushing and pulling the image to completion.

Telstra Bark Painting Award

Marrnyula MUNUŊGURR

born 1964

Yolŋu Matha

Resides Yirrkala, NT

Muṉguymirri 2020

earth pigments on Stringybark

106 x 68 cm

Marrnyula has created the cross hatching grid pattern which is the sacred design for the freshwaters of the Djapu clan at their homeland Waṉḏawuy now an outstation about 150 kilometres south of Yirrkala and inland from Blue Mud Bay. She is well known for making massive installations of hundreds of small barks to capture this effect but in this work creates the same feeling but on one bark. Muṉguymirri means 'in small pieces'.

Telstra Works on Paper Award

Iluwanti KEN

born 1944

Pitjantjatjara language

Resides Amata, SA

Walawulu ngunytju kukaku ananyi (Mother eagles going hunting) 2020

ink on paper

153 x 250 cm

Iluwanti is telling the story of mother eagles hunting for food and bringing it back to feed their babies. Iluwanti says that these birds are like Anangu mothers, they strong shelters, they hunt to find food to feed their children and protect their babies from outside dangers.

Wandjuk Marika 3D Memorial Award (sponsored by Telstra)

Jenna LEE

born 1992

Larrakia/Wardaman/Karajarri languages

Resides Brisbane, QLD

HIStory vessels 2020

pages and cover board of the Ladybird History Book 'The Story of Captain Cook', linen book binding thread, glue

29 x 144 x 20 cm (10 pieces)

Created in response to the 250 year anniversary of Lieutenant James Cook’s arrival, HIStory Vessels looks to reclaim agency of historic representation of Aboriginal people in Australia. Cook is a powerful and enduring symbol for the omnipresent, white, patriarchal, narrative and its continuing assertion of power over First Nations stories.

Telstra Multimedia Award

Siena Mayutu Wurmarri STUBBS Wurmarri 

born 2002

Yolŋu Matha language (Dhuwalandja Gumatj clan)

Resides Yirrkala, NT

Shinkansen 2019

Film and sound 2:47 minute loop

A Yolŋu girl in Japan - The poem and footage featured in this film were created on the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Nagoya to Kyoto.

Telstra Emerging Artist Award

Cecilia UMBAGAI

born 1997

Worrora language

Resides Derby, WA

Yoogu 2020

earth pigments on Stringybark

116 x 39 cm

“I’m a young Worrorra woman and live in Mowanjum community 10km outside of Derby in the West Kimberley of Western Australia. The three tribes who live in Mowanjum: Worrorra, Ngarinyin, and Wunumbal share their belief of the Wandjina who are sacred ancestral spiritual beings and created the land and control the elements, the flora and fauna, and the humans. We are custodians of Wandjina Wunggund law. I’ve been painting all my life, learning from the elders, sitting with them while they worked, listening” says Ms Umbagai.

The Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) exhibition captures the attention of the nation. Telstra NATSIAA offers an inspiring breadth of work from emerging and established artists that showcases the very best Australian Indigenous contemporary art from around the country. Each year the exhibition sees an increasing variety of art forms and media, collectively demonstrating the richness and diversity of current contemporary Indigenous artistic practice, and the pre-eminence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices, nationwide, within the visual arts.